Filling valve



p 5 9 9- c. E. KERR 2,172,010

FILLING VALVE Filed July 21, 195? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ffiar/ss. [T M;

ATTORN Y1 Sept. 5, 1939. c. E. KERR 2,172,010

' FILLING VALVE Filed July 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I '6 IN V ENTOR. (/mr/a; m ff G LLZ/ Q/ I v Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEE FILLING VALVE poration of Delaware Application July 21, 1937, Serial No. 154,798

15 Claims. (01. 226-124) This invention relates to filling valves of the type used for filling liquids into containers such as cans or the like, and is concerned more particularly with an improved valve of this type which can be used for filling under pressure, under vacuum, or with an open tank.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved filling valve of a simple and economical construction which provides for efficient operating characteristics over an increased operating life as compared with known valves.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved filling valve which can be'adjusted easily to take up wear, and thereby provide for a long operating life with maximum efficiency.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved filling valve which is constructed to provide a non-foaming filling operation and to prevent after-drip.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the valve and a part of the filling tank on which the valve is mounted, taken through the center axis of the valve slide. The valve is shown in open position for filling operation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a part of the valve slide as indicated by the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the valve and is taken in planes indicated by the line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the valve parts in the closed position thereof.

The filling valve of my invention is illustrated in connection with a conventional type of filling machine of which only fragmentary parts are shown, including the tank I!) and a cam lift plate H, a can l2 being shown in operative position between the lift plate H and the valve. This type of machine operates to periodically open and close the filling valve by raising a can or other container into contact with the valve slide to open the valve by lifting the slide and to close the valve when the slide is lowered. Machines of this general type are well-known and if further description of the complete machine is desired, reference. may be had to the patent to Thompson, No. 1,355,015, dated October 5, 1920.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the valve comprises generally a valve body l6 which is secured on the tank 10 to the tank or to the atmosphere.

and a valve slide I! which is slidably mounted in the body l6 and is spring-urged to its lower valve closing position. Preferably, the valve body I E and the valve slide I! are provided with planar V faces engaged as at l8 and into which the various filling and vent passages through the slide and the body open.

The valve body I6 is provided with a fiat face 2| which engages and is secured against suitable pads 22 on the tank 13, by means of apertured fastening screws 23 which extend through suitable apertures in the tank 10 and are threaded in the valve body H5, whereby the fastening means also provides part of the passages from the valve The valve slide IT is provided at the top with an upwardly projecting rod or guide 26 which extends through an apertured overhanging flange 21 of the body l6 and has a head 28 for engagement with the top of the flange 21 to limit the 20 lowered position of the valve slide with respect to the valve body toward which position the valve slide is urged by a spring 29 compressed between the flange 21 and the top of valve slide H. The engaged planar faces of the valve body and the valve slide are maintained in close cooperation by means of U-shaped bracket 3| secured to the sides of the valve body l6 by suitable fastening screws as seen most clearly in Fig. 3, and extending around the valve slide [1, being threaded to receive adjusting screw 32 having a pressure plate 33 mounted freely on the end thereof for engagement with a flat surface 34 of the valve slide. A lock nut 36 is provided to maintain the adjusted position of the screw 32 and the pressure plate 33 with respect to the slide l1.

Thus, the valve slide is mounted for vertical movement relative to the valve body during operation of the valve, and can be adjusted transversely of the direction of its operative movement to maintain the close cooperative relation between the engaged surfaces of the valve slide and the valve body.

At its lower end, the valve slide I! (Fig. 1) is threaded to receive can lift collar 4| providing a seat for a rubber can lift ring 42. By adjusting the collar 4|, relative to the slide 11, the time at which a can l2 will engage the ring 42 to lift the valve slide upwardly can be varied to thereby vary the amount of fill as will be apparent hereinafter.

As previously stated, the valve body and the valve slide are provided with respective filling and vent passages for controlling the flow of liquid from the tank into a can. The valve body has a filhng passage 5! formed therein and opening through passage 52 into the bottom of the tank ill, whereby liquid can flow from the tank through the passages 52 and 5! into an enlarged chamber 53 formed at the upper end of an annular passage 54, extending downwardly through the valve body around a conduit 55 threaded in the valve body and having a bell shaped or conical lower end 5? permanently spaced from a similarly formed wall 58 of the valve slide.

The valve body it is provided with a Vent passage 63 for communication with a vent passage 62 formed in the valve slide ll and extending downwardly through the conduit 55. The body vent passage 63 registers with the slide vent passage 62 in the lowered or valve closing position of the slide shown in Fig. 4, and if no venting is desired in this position as later explained, the passage 63 may be closed as by a screw plug 64, as shown in Fig. 3.

The valve body is also provided with a vent passage 5i which opens into the screw connection 23 which receives an elbow 65 mounting a vent pipe M which ext nds upwardly within the tank and above the level of liqu d therein. Vent passage 6i communicates with the slide vent passage 52 in the raised position of the valve slide as shown in Fig. 1. For certain operations, the lower end of vent passage 52 may be closed by a bell shaped float 68 which is removably mounted by lugs 59 in operative relation with the lower face of bell shaped portion 51 of the conduit 5% and has a central semi-spherical extrusion H for seating in and closing the lower end of passage Q52 in response to the rising level of the liquid in the can. The valve body is also provided with a vent passage 16 communicating with the opening in lower fastening screw 23, and which in the lower position of the valve slide communicates with chamber 53, plug 1'! being provided to close the passage 16 during certain operations.

The operation of the valve will now be de scribed in connection with the various difierent types of filling which can be effected thereby.

When filling under pressure, i. e., when the pressure in the tank is maintained above atmospheric pressure, the screw plugs 64 and H and float 58 are all mounted in place as shown in the drawings. Assuming the valve to be in the position shown in Fig. 4, when a can is brought up against sealing ring 42 and lifts the valve slide to the position shown in Fig, 1, the passage 62 communicates with the vent passage 6| of the body it before the filling chamber 53 communicates with the filling passage 5|. As seen most clearly in Fig. 2, while the passage 62 and chamber 53 have ports of the same cross sectional area, their contour is difierent to provide a longer vertical opening in the vent passage than in the filling passage. This allows the pressure of the tank to be transferred to the container so that the pressures are equalized before the filling operation starts. As the valve slide continues to move up, filling chamber 53 registers with filling passage 5! of the valve body and a gravity flow of liquid starts from the tank through passage 55, chamber 53 and annular passage 54 over the bell shaped portion 57 and out against the walls of the can as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, this type of discharge providing a non-foaming operation. At the same time the air in the container is transfered back to the tank through the vent passages 62, 6|, elbow 66 and vent pipe 61.

When the liquid in the container reaches the fioat 68, it lifts the float upwardly to seat extrusion H in the lower end of passage 62 and stop the flow of air from the container and consequently the flow of liquid from the tank into the container.

At this time, the can goes away from the valve slide and permits the return thereof to the position shown in Fig. 4, where the upper ends of the passages in the valve slide are all closed.

It will be noted that the enlarged chamber 53 at the top of the annular filling passage 54 insures an even distribution of liquid in the passage, so that at its lower end an unbroken circular curtain of liquid will be discharged. Also, the angular relation of the bell shaped end 51 over which the liquid is discharged to the wall of the can is such that the liquid will strike the can wall at an acute angle to prevent foaming.

The operation of the valve when filling under vacuum, i. e., when the pressure in the tank is maintained below atmospheric pressure, is similar to the operation when filling under pressure, but the valve is adapted for this operation by removing the fioat E8 and the plugs 64 and ll. The removal of the plugs fi i and l! affects the operation by releasing the liquid in the vent passage 62 and filling passage 5 respectively, into the can as the valve slide moves to the valve closing position thereof to prevent after-drip, and also by relieving the vacuum so that the can moves away from the valve easily.

When using the valve in filling from an open tank, the valve is conditioned as described in filling under vacuum and operates in a similar manner.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in a preferred form, it will be understood that the invention is capable of variations and modifications from such preferred form, and, its scope, therefore, should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve for filling cans or the like by a gravity flow of liquid from a tank, a valve body having a flat face, filling passage means leading from said face to said tank, vent passage means leading from said passage to said tank and terminating above the level of liquid therein, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body and having a flat face for cooperative sliding engagement with said body face, filling passage means extending from the lower end of said valve slide to the flat face thereof, vent passage means extending from the lower end of said valve slide to the flat face thereof, spring means urging said slide downwardly with respect to said body to maintain the respective filling and vent passages out of communication, a can lift ring on said valve slide for engagement by a can to effect lifting of said slide to establish communication between the respective similar passage means of said valve slide and said valve body, other passage means in said body for communicating with said vent and filling passages of said slide in the valve closing position of said slide, and means for selectively opening said other passage means to the atmosphere. 7

2. In a filling valve, a valve body having a flat face into which respective vent and filling passages open, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having a flat face for sliding engagement with said body face and having respective vent and filling passages opening into the face thereof for simultaneous registration with said body passages in one adjusted position of said slide relative to said body, said vent passages having a longer dimension in the direction of relative movement between said body and said slide than said filling passages, whereby the vent is established before a filling operation begins.

3. In a filling valve, a valve body having a flat face into which respective vent and filling passages open, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having a fiat face for sliding engagement with said body face and having respective vent and filling passages opening into the face thereof for simultaneous registration with said body passages in one adjusted position of said slide relative to said body, said respective vent and filling passages having substantially the same cross-sectional area and said vent passages having a longer dimension in the direction of relative movement between said body and said slide than said filling passages, whereby the vent is established before a filling operation begins.

4. In a filling valve, a valve body having respective vent and filling passages, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having respective vent and filling passages for simultaneous registration with said body passages in one adjusted position of said slide relative to said body, said respective vent and filling passages having substantially the same cross-sectional area and said vent passages having a longer dimension in the direction of relative movement between said body and said slide than said filling passages, whereby the vent is established before a filling operation begins.

5. In a filling valve, a valve body having a flat face into which respective vent and filling passages open, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having a flat face for sliding engagement with said body face and having respective vent and filling passages opening into the face thereof for cooperation with the similar body passages, said slide having a bore extending from a substantially semi-spherical recess at one end of said slide and terminating in a portion of a reduced diameter, and a tube secured in and. communicating with the bore portion of reduced diameter and terminating in a substantially semispherical shell spaced from the wall of said semispherical recess to provide a part of said slide vent passage within said tube and a part of said slide filling passage exteriorly of said tube and within said bore.

6. In a filling valve, a valve body having respective vent and filling passages, a valve slide movably connected to: said valve body having respective vent and filling passages for cooperation with the similar body passages, said slide having a bore extending from a substantially semi-spherical recess at one end of said slide and terminating in a portion of a reduced diameter, and a tube secured in and communicating with the bore portion of reduced diameter and terminating in a substantially semi-spherical shell spaced from the wall of said semi-spherical recess to provide a part of said slide vent passage within said tube and a part of said slide filling passage exteriorly of said tube and within said bore.

7. In a filling valve, a valve body having a fiat face into which respective vent and filling passages open, a valve slide normally connected to said valve body having a flat face for sliding engagement with said body face and having respective vent and filling passages opening into the face thereof for cooperation with the similar body passages, said slide having a bore extending from a substantially semi-spherical recess at one end of said slide and terminating in a portion of a reduced diameter, and a tube secured in and communicating with the bore portion of reduced diameter and terminating in a substantially semi-spherical shell spaced from the wall of said semi-spherical recess to provide a part of said slide vent passage within said tube and a part of said slide filling passage exteriorly of said tube and within said bore, said slide having an enlarged chamber around said tube at the top of said bore portion of larger diameter.

8. In a filling valve, a valve body having respective vent and filling passages, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having respective vent and filling passages for cooperation with the similar body passages, said slide having a bore extending from a substantially semi-spherical recess at one end of said slide and terminating in a portion of a reduced diameter,

and a tube secured in and communicating with the bore portion of reduced diameter and terminating in a substantially semi-spherical shell spaced from the wall of said semi-spherical recess to provide a part of said slide vent passage within said tube and a part of said slide filling passage exteriorly of said tube and within said bore, said slide having an enlarged chamber around said tube at the top of said bore portion of reduced diameter.

9. In a filling valve, a valve body having a fiat face into which respective vent and filling passages open, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having a fiat face for sliding engagement with said body face and having respective vent and filling passages opening into the face thereof for cooperation with the similar body passages, said slide having a bore extending from a substantially semi-spherical recess at one end of said slide and terminating in a portion of a reduced diameter, a tube secured in and communicating with the bore portion of reduced diameter and terminating in a substantially semi-spherical shell spaced from. the wall of said semi-spherical recess to provide a part of said slide vent passage within said tube and a part of said slide filling passage exteriorly of said tube and within said bore, and a substantially semispherical float movably supported by said tube for closing the vent passage therethrough.

10. In a filling valve, a valve body having respective vent and filling passages, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body having respective vent and filling passages for cooperation with the similar body passages, said slide having a bore extending from a substantially semi-spherical recess at one end of said slide and terminating in a portion of a reduced diameter, a tube secured in and communicating with the bore portion of reduced diameter and terminating in a substantially semi-spherical shell spaced from the wall of said semi-spherical recess to provide a part of said slide vent passage within said tube and a part of said slide filling passage exteriorly of said tube and within said bore, and a substantially semi-spherical float movably supported by said tube for closing the vent passage therethrough.

11. In a filling valve for selective use in filling under'pressure, under vacuum, and with an open tank; a valve body having vent and filling passages therein, a valve slide associated with said valve body and having vent and filling passages therein for registration with said similar body passages when said valve slide is in filling position relative to said valve body, and liquid release passages in said valve body for selectively effecting communication between said-vent and filling passages of said slide and the atmosphere in the Valve closing position of said valve slide.

12. In a filling valve for selective use in filling under pressure, under vacuum, and with an open tank; a valve body having vent and filling passages therein, a valve slide associated with said valve body and having vent and filling-passages therein for registration with said similar body passages when said valve slide is in filling position relative to said valve body, liquid release passages in said valve body for selectively efiecting communication between said vent and filling passages of said slide and the atmosphere in the valve closing position of said valve slide, a float for closing said slide vent passage by operation of liquid rising in the container being filled, and means mountng said fioat on said slide to enable removal thereof when desired.

13. In a filling valve for selective use in, filling under pressure, under vacuum, and with an open tank; a valve body having vent and filling passages therein, a valve slide associated with said valve body and having vent and filling passages therein for registration with said similar body passages when said valve slide is in filling position relative to said valve body, and liquid release passage means in said valve body for selectively effecting communication between said ventand filling passages of said slide and the atmosphere in the valve closing position of said valve slide.

14. In a filling valve for selective use in filling :under pressure, under vacuum, and with an open tank; a valve body having vent and filling passages therein, a valve slide associated with said valve body andhaving vent and filling passages thereinfo-r registration with said similar body passages when said valve slide is in filling positionjrelative to said valve body, liquid release passage means in said valve body for selectively efi'ectingcommunication between said vent and filling passages of said slide and the atmosphere in the valve closing position of said valve slide, andfloat means for closing the lower end of said slide vent passage by operation of liquid rising in the container'being filled,

15. In a valve for filling cans or the like by a gravity flow of liquid from a tank, a valve body having a fiat face, filling passage means leading from said-face to said tank, vent passage means leading-from said-face to said tank and terminating above the level of liquid therein, a valve slide movably connected to said valve body and having a flat-face for cooperative sliding engagement with said body face, filling passage means extending from the lower end of said valve slide to the fiat face thereof, said filling passage means having an annular discharge opening at said lower end for directing an annular curtain of liquid against the wall oithe can, vent passage means extending from the lower end of said valve slide to the fiat face thereof, spring means urging saidslide downwardly with respec to said body to maintain-the respective filling and vent passages out of communication, and a can lift ring on said valve slide for engagement by a can to effect lifting of said slide to establish communication between the respective similar passage means of said valve slide and said valve body, whereby to enablea gravity flow of liquid from saidtank to the can.

7 CHARLES E. KERR. 

